The Occasional Trip to the Seashore
by Mayas Bernice Treat
Summary: Hans is working hard to let his relationship with Skipper blossom. Will he succeed? Or will it blow up in his face. My first fanfic, tips welcome. Please don't be mean.
1. Chapter 1

It is a quiet, almost peaceful morning in the Manhattan Central Park zoo. Skipper has already given morning training, dismissed the team for their prescheduled half day, and now sits relaxing at the dimly lit table of the HQ, fish coffee in flipper.

The soldier tenses as the all too familiar sound of puffin feet climbing down metal bars hits his ear holes. "What do you want, Hans?" Skipper was never one to like surprises. "And what are you doing here? Doesn't Ma have you under lock and key?"

Taking this as his invitation, the puffin walks in and up to the table. "Vell, with your team out giving Ma a fun mother's day, I thought itz would make it eazy for uz to have a nice chat."

"I've got nothing nice to say to a Dane like you, Hans." Skipper keeps eye contact with the bird across from him, taking a sip out of his metal mug.

"Oh, I tink you do, my frienemy. After all, ve never really got to catch up. I heard you got married in Africa . It'z a shame I vasn't invited to da wedding."

"Hans, I don't want to catch up with you. Not to mention that wedding ain't your business or concern. It's Classified." The leader sets his coffee down, glaring at the puffin.

"Of course it'z my concern, Skipper. Besides, ve could catch up over a picnic. Come on, vhat do you say? Don't you trust me?"

The commando penguin gets a good laugh out of that. "Please Hans, I don't trust you farther than I can fly unassisted."

Getting a little more serious, Hans sits down at Skipper's eye level, "Come on Skipper, Ma has changed me. I'm a better bird now. I really wish us to be friends."  
"If you can't trust me, can't you at least give me a chance? Please Skipper, I don't wish to beg."

Skipper pauses at this, processing the words given to him. "You really are trying here Hans, aren't you?"

The puffin puts his wings together, trying to make his point as clear as possible. "Ya, I am. Skipper you know me an' I know you. Let's get reacquainted, please. It'z not like you're the only one who vould be giving information. I'd be telling secrets too."

After a moment more of thought, the leader sighs, caving. "Alright I'll give you one more chance Hans." The puffin's face brightens at that. "But if you try any funny business, I'll ship you back to Hoboken faster than you say 'Ma'. And there ain't no guarantee I'll be sharing secrets, comprende?"

In his excitement, Hans grabs Skipper's flippers in his wings. "Ya, Skipper! Vank you! Vank you!"

Skipper pulls his arm back with utmost military speed. "I did not authorize contact Hans!"

Blushing under his feathers, Hans replies, "Sorvy Skipper. Von't happen again."

Both birds straighten up, trying to reclaim their dignity. "It better not."

Hans chuckles nervously. "Aaa... Skipper, vhere an' vhen do you wish to meet?"

"How does the pier sound? Say 0800 hours next Tuesday?" the leader states, more than asks, as he takes a swig from his cup.

Hans jumps to his feet, happy with his answer and begins to back out of the other birds home. "It'z a date!"

At this, Skipper does a spit take. "A WHAT?" he asks, unable to control his voice.

Stopping at Skipper's tone and realizing what he just said, Hans stutters to correct himself before raising suspicion. "I a... a mean, meeting. Ya, vhy vould ve go on a date? Aaa... bye!" And with that awkward cover up, Hans flees up the ladder, leaving Skipper to clean up his coffee.

After he was sure the puffin was out of ear shot he breathed a sigh of relief, "Damn Dane."


	2. Chapter 2

Later that day in the Hoboken zoo, Hans is making his way to his habitat. The clock nearby strikes the chime signaling it is 6 o'clock. Grimacing at the fate he knows is waiting for him for missing dinner, he jumps the fence to his habitat.

"Where have you been?" The almost hysterical possum runs to Hans, checking him for wounds. "You had me worried sick! I come home and you're gone! No note, no nothing! Are you okay? I thought I taught you better than to run off like that!" She rambles on like this for awhile as Hans does his best to listen and let her fume. "Where were you, Hans?"

Finally given the chance to get a word in edgewise, the puffin speaks up for the first time since getting home. "There vas no need to worry Ma, I vas just at Skipper's place."

No longer furious, since given such an answer, but still upset with the situation, Ma continues her search for answers. "And what, may I ask, were you doing there? You better not be out for revenge again. I thought I'd taught you better than that."

"Ni, Ma, I vasn't out for revenge. I vas trying to make da friends with Skipper."

That statement dowses Ma's little remaining anger and catches her curiosity. "Really? How did he react?"

The puffin rubs the back of his head with his right wing. Since the Copenhagen incident, it is hard for him to talk to anyone, even Ma. It doesn't help that it's about something so personal. "Vell, he still doesn't trust me, but he agreed to meet next Tuesday to chat."

In her excitement, Ma pinches Hans' cheeks lovingly. "Ooo, a play date. I'm so happy you two are playing nice now."

The puffin scrambles out of Ma's grasp, ruffling his feathers. "Ma, it'z not a date, play or otherwise. It'z just a meeting, nothing more."

Ma, not paying any attention to Hans' protest, begins to smooth his feathers as he fidgets in her grasp. She continues, "Now If your play date is in two days, that means I don't have long to get you ready. After all, we both know your manners are lacking. Not to mention we'll have to give you bath and polish you feathers. Oh! And I can pack you a lunch or dinner. What time is this play date happening, anyway?"

"It'z not a play date! It'z a..." Hans stops when he sees the look the possum is giving him, realizing that he has been yelling. "Sorvy. I did not mean to yell. I am meeting da Skipper at 8 in da morning."

Changing her glare of dominance to a soft smile of understanding, "That's okay dear. Just watch that temper. You don't want it showing when you see him. Speaking of which, I think making a brunch instead of a lunch would be more appropriate, but first things first. You need to eat your supper and get to the bed. Go on now. It's on the table."

Hans sighs, giving up on the argument about the date, knowing he has lost. Then, taking on the next issue, being stubborn, knowing it too is a losing battle already, "But Ma, I'm not even hungry or tired. Pluz, it'z still light out."

Happy with her work organizing his feathers, Ma stops and looks him in the eye with the smug yet loving expression only a mother can give. "Hush now or I'll send you to bed without supper. You're already lucky you're not getting in trouble going out without telling me. Not to mention you nearly gave me a heart attack when I got home from my day out and you were gone without a trace."

Knowing he is caught and has lost the battle, the puffin sighs for what feels like the hundredth time that day. "Fine. You win, Ma. I'll go eat and get to bed." Hans turns to walk towards the table but stops, knowing he needs say something now that everything is calm. "Sorvy for making you worry like that. It'z just that I really like Skipper an' I do not wish for him to tink that I am still da bad guy."

Ma can feel her heart warming at the trust Hans is giving her. "I know. Just please tell me before you go places. I like know where you are."

"I vill." The puffin starts walking again, having made his peace on the subject.

"And Hans." He stops for a second time on his short journey to the table.

"Ya, Ma?"

Her voice becomes soft and motherly as she continues, "You are not the bad guy. You need to believe in yourself. And don't forget - whatever happens, I will love you as a son."

"I love you too, Ma."

... ... ...

**Thank you for the reviews and for reading my story! It is highly appreciated. **

**Also here is the declaimer. I do not own 'Penguins of Madagascar', because if I did it would be full of pairings. **


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